


To Find You

by Evelyn6



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Post-episode: S6E10, Rumbelle - Freeform, Wish Realm, this time with Belle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-09-07 18:49:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8812090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evelyn6/pseuds/Evelyn6
Summary: When Regina sought Rumplestiltskin's help in the wish!Realm, she knew he would demand something in return. Lucky for her, she knew about another prisoner being kept in the Queen's fortress.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I took a few liberties when describing the "Wish Realm." It's not exactly canon (or at least not the way A&E have described it) but I wish this had happened regardless.

The Dark One giggled shrilly as he tittered around the small cell, his clawed fingers wringing with excited energy as he paced back and forth. How familiar his new residence had become in the many years he'd been trapped here - forgotten amidst beneath the Evil Queen's fortress as the world went on with its happy ending without him. He knew every crevasse in the stone walls, every ridge along the wrought iron that barred his way to freedom. His mind had yet to snap completely, but that didn't mean he hadn't lost himself to the darkness just a bit; to the insanity that accompanied such isolation.

He was thankful his apprentice's old magic remained, sustaining him and keeping his tiny home tidy as he ran wild behind its bars. But that was where his gratitude for his young student ended. Yes indeed.

His fingers itched to twirl the spokes of his beloved spinning wheel, as forgotten as he where it remained at the Dark Castle. But at the reminder of what else remained there - the _memories_ \- he growled and pounced at the wall, skittering into one of the deep grooves where the darkness could overtake him again. No, he could not think of that place.

He could not think of her.

That was the most terrible part of being trapped in this barren cell. There was nothing to do but think. Sure, thoughts of revenge and planning an escape had lasted him for a while, but then loneliness started to creep in, a dreadful itch that kept clawing and clawing until he sunk into despair and summoned her to his mind for comfort.

His Belle.

As lost as he, his little maid, only she was gone and buried beneath the unmarked land while he remained destined to live with the pain of having let his True Love slip through his fingers. It had been her loss that allowed the darkness full reign inside him, that pushed him to forge the Dark Curse and train the Queen to cast it.

With his quest failed, his love lost and his son forever out of reach, he was astonished his heart still managed to beat in his chest. But alive he was, if barely, and if his rattled mind conjured a comfort to him as he tried to find purchase in the present, well, he supposed he couldn't blame it.

It was an exquisite sort of torture, to see her and yet know she was not here. It drove him mad as much as it kept him sane, but he held onto her memory as if it was his most cherished possession, drawing on it before he snapped and reveling in it as a way to keep the darkness and madness at bay.

"Hello, dearie," he greeted as she appeared before him, a vision in her blue dress and tumbling brown curls.

Gods, how he missed her.

Her giggle rang through the cell and struck with a pang about his heart, and for a brief moment his eyes slipped closed as he relished in her presence. With her near, the imp slipped away, falling into submission as the spinner came forth.

When he opened his eyes again, his gaze met the purest of blues - her eyes holding a smile as they glinted in the firelight.

"Hello, Rumple," she said softly, her lilting voice like a balm to his tortured soul.

He couldn't quite get her smell right. It had been the first detail he'd lost over the years. He wished he hadn't been quite so determined to keep his distance lest she ever suspect his interest; he should have buried his nose in her hair and held her until the smell of her remained seared in his brain. But he hadn't, and so she never smelled right when he summoned her.

Still, when she smiled, it was her smile, as breathtaking and brilliant as ever. It was magic, that smile. And he was a man addicted to magic.

He felt that ever-present stab of longing in his chest at the sight of her. It never left; not really. But it hurt most when he saw her.

"I miss you, Belle," he whispered, his voice low and hoarse; more man than beast, now. For her.

Her smile turned soft, something like fondness in the way her cheeks dimpled as she came toward him. He didn't flinch when she reached for his hand, her cold fingers wrapping around his - that was something else his dreams couldn't replicate; her warmth - as she tugged him from his hiding place. He would follow her wherever she led, his Belle.

"And I miss you, too," she told him, sitting beside him on the small ledge against the wall that served as his bed. He curled up beside her, pulling her into his arms and nuzzling her neck. He'd never dared to do this with the real Belle, but there was freedom in dreams and holding her made him feel like he was worth something, even here, and so he wrapped his arms around her and purred as she sunk her fingers into his hair.

It was silent for a while, just the soft sound of his humming and the crackle of the torch alighting the damp cave. She didn't belong here amidst the dark and shadows, but he couldn't bear to let her go, either.

"I wish you could be here, sweetheart," he murmured sadly into her hair.

Belle made a soft sound and kissed the top of his head. "I am closer than you think, Rumplestiltskin."

He didn't have time to consider her words because the next moment she was nudging him with her shoulder, encouraging him to raise his head.

"Someone's here," she whispered.

He frowned, tilting his head as he perked his ears, his long forgotten magic rippling beneath his skin. It was useless here, an almost unnoticeable burn within his veins as the fairy magic imbued in the bars kept it at bay, but he still had the seer's foresight and the enhanced senses of the Dark One. And they were prickling insistently at the arrival of someone new in the castle.

His fingers tightened protectively around Belle's waist, but already he could feel her slipping from him.

"Don't leave, Belle," he begged. "Please don't leave me."

"I'm not far, Rumple. I know you'll find me again." She smiled as she learned forward, her hands cupping his face with a touch as light as feathers. When her lips pressed against his, he felt his eyes sting with tears. It was as easy as breathing to conjure to his mind's eye the memory of their first kiss. The gentle pressure of her lips, as soft as rose petals, and the feel of her breath against his skin. The pure, unadulterated magic that had surged through him, the greatest light he had ever felt. This kiss was nearly a mockery of that moment, tainted by the fact that the woman he loved was lost forever and the one before him was barely more than a ghost, but it was still so very needed that he kissed her back like a man starved.

She faded as their mouths parted, slipping through his fingertips once again as he growled in frustration.

It was easy, the annoyance that unfurled within him as he turned his eyes towards the entrance to his little hovel, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end like an animal with his hackles raised. Whoever was interrupting his little sojourn had better be worth it.

It had been ages since he'd felt another's presence here. The Queen had fallen soon after she failed to enact his curse, Snow White and Prince Charming besting her at long last. From what he understood, his former apprentice had been stripped of her magic and banished to another realm. He, however, couldn't be dealt with as easily. He was immortal and his magic stemmed from a (nearly) unbreakable curse. So he had been moved - very carefully - into the abandoned fortress for 'safe keeping.' Out of sight, out of mind he supposed. He had been biding his time ever since, waiting for an opportunity to present itself.

Perhaps this was it.

He didn't dare hope; not yet. But he kept his senses perked as he moved silently about his cell, excitement invariably building within him. His guest was making a bit of a racket outside, their steps slowly nearing the corridor that led to the dungeons. It was at that moment that the air shifted and suddenly his magic was raging to life, lapping eagerly at his fingertips. Calling to another magic; one he knew.

  
_Regina_.

The imp's shrill giggle rang throughout the cell as he pranced about, unable to contain the swell of eagerness rushing through him. He knew her magic almost as well as his own. There was no mistaking the way it called to him in kind, drawing her steps closer and closer. He stepped into the shadows as he tittered, his sight revealing, for the first time in decades, _possibilities._  


He was humming as her steps drew closer, her mere presence an almost tangible thing in the small space.

"There you are," he giggled. "Come to see old Rumple, have you?"

Her steps paused just out of reach, and he beckoned her closer, rushing to the bars in one fell swoop.

"You!" he trilled, surprised by the sight that met him. She was the Queen, but wasn't. Not as he had anticipated. She was his apprentice as he had trained her all those years ago, young and with that hard, determined spark in her eyes. There was wisdom there, too, so not quite the naive, short-sighted girl he knew. His mind raced as he tried to assemble the pieces of this newest puzzle. He was clearly out of practice if she could take him so by surprise.

"Rumplestiltskin, I need your help," she said in greeting.

Not quite so different after all, then.

"And why should I help you?" he asked, tilting his head as he studied her. Her clothing was most assuredly not of this world, so perhaps this was a bit of realm travel.

What intrigued him most of all, though, was the unmistakable hint of desperation in her eyes. Oh, the Dark One liked that very much indeed.

Still, he had the most to lose in this situation. She may need him, but he needed her even more. He knew he needed to proceed carefully.

"My greatest student," he boasted, pausing, "and my greatest failure. My Dark Curse. My most precious of curses. You failed me."

He watched her carefully as she panicked for a moment before rushing to reassure him. "That wasn't me. You see, I'm not the Evil Queen in this reality."

He pretended to scoff even as excitement flooded through him. Parallel realities. It wasn't something many knew of, but he always had known more than most. If she had come here from an alternate reality, one where she wasn't the Evil Queen (or was no longer the Evil Queen) it must mean she needed something. Something important.

Indeed, she confirmed his suspicions a moment to later.

"I'm here to save Emma. The Savior. She was sent here by the real Evil Queen when I... separated her from myself," she admitted.

At Emma's name, everything slid into place. What must have happened, and what he could do to help. Of course, nothing he did came without a price.

"I suppose I could help you, dearie," he said airily, giving her a wide-toothed grin. "In exchange for my freedom, of course."

His former apprentice frowned, her mind almost visibly racing as she considered his request. He could see her hesitation, but he could also see the desperation still burning in her eyes. She must care for the Savior a great deal to be considering his freedom so easily. And he could see the moment she decided to free him, watching the resolution come over her features with palpable excitement.

With a wave of her hand, the door to his cell creaked open and he shivered as he lept out with a flourish of his hands.

_Freedom._

The idea brought with it a sense of sadness as much as elation. He had his magic returned to him. Already he could feel his strength returning tenfold, power surging through him like a long lost friend. With it, he could return home. But at the same time that he realized that, he remembered who wouldn't be waiting for him there.

True to his word, he told Regina the key to waking up her Emma. And then another thought occurred to him.

"And how do you plan to get home, dearie, once you've woken her up?"

He could tell by the blank look on her face that she hadn't thought that far ahead. That always had been one of her weaknesses - her tendency to go rushing into things without the patience and planning that he was so known for. He made a show of rolling his eyes and wiggled a finger in her face.

"I suppose you have something in mind?" She raised a knowing eyebrow.

He chuckled. "I do. But it will cost you..."

Now that he had his freedom, he held the upper hand - and she knew it. She would have to have something quite tempting to offer him in return for the magic bean he had in mind to get her home.

She considered for a long moment, her mouth opening and closing a few times before it looked like an idea struck her and her face lit up. It took him by surprise, how certain she seemed that he would accept.

"I have information you want," she said, her eyes bright and knowing. He frowned.

"What _kind_ of information?" he said impatiently, figuring this was a waste of time. He could be transporting himself home, setting his castle to rights, making plans for-

"Information about a certain little maid you fancy," Regina said.

Something in him snapped at the mere mention of _her_.

_She threw herself off the tower. She died._

With a snarl, he pounced forward, his fingers wrapping around the Queen's throat as he pressed her against the wall.

"Don't you dare toy with me, dearie," he hissed.

Regina looked calm - too calm - beneath his fingers. "I'm not. She's alive, Rumplestiltskin. And I can tell you where to find her."

His hand fell away instantly as he fell backwards a step, the fight leaving him in a rush of breath as his jaw dropped with disbelief.

"You... You lie..." he whispered.

She scoffed. "Then see for yourself. But if I'm telling the truth, you meet me by the lake tomorrow at noon and bring me whatever it is that will take us home."

He tried to be suspicious. He tried to deny her claim. He tried not to hope. But he couldn't help it. Not when she was offering what he wanted most in the world.

"Where?" he asked so quietly his own ears barely heard the sound. But Regina heard it and smiled victoriously.

"She's right here," she told him. "In the castle. In a room I hid from sight with my most powerful spells. She never returned home, your Belle. I stole her from the road as she made her way back to you. The castle would have cared for her over the years, even in my absence."

_I am closer than you think._

_I know you'll find me again._

There was a time when he would have ripped Regina's throat out for what she'd done - or possibly done. But there was no anger in his heart now. Now, he couldn't feel anything beyond _need._ His need to find her; to find out if Regina was telling the truth. So he left the Queen where she was and summoned his magic to him, disappearing with her words, "West wing," on the the air behind him.

His landing was clumsy and the effort left him lightheaded after so long without his magic, but he found himself in a corridor in some distant wing of the castle a moment later. He struggled to his feet and threw himself forward, his eyes darting every direction at once. It was a cloud of her violet magic that finally drew his eye to a door that formed where there hadn't been one before. The sight drew a strangled noise from his throat as he hurled towards it.

Could it really be possible?

He pressed his hands to the door, his lungs frozen in his chest, the idea of what might lay on the other side almost too much to bear. Then he reached for the handle and turned.

The room was larger and more lavish than he would have imagined it to be. It was nothing to the mansion he had given her in the Dark Castle, but he was relieved to see that to she was afforded more comfort than he was. There was a small bed to one side, a tiny bookshelf and a single worn armchair beside the window.

But for all the luxury, it appeared to be empty. There was no smiling face to greet him, no terrifying sight of her atop a ladder pulling at curtains and making his heart stop in his chest, no form curled up on his armchair with a book laid open on her lap. His heart sank as the realization that he had been duped started to settle in his chest.

"Belle..." he cried brokenly into the small room, his hands fisting as he tried to keep his last shred of humanity - or sanity, he wasn't sure which after all this time - together.

He was just starting to turn away when he heard it. A small gasp. His head barely had enough time to snap up before his arms were full. Full of something soft and warm, the scent of which filled his senses and smelled so very _right._  


"It's you. It's really you... I knew you'd come. I knew you'd find me," a familiar voice was was mumbling into his neck, her breath ghosting over his mottled skin, so warm and so very, very real.

"Belle... My Belle," he whimpered, sinking to his knees with her in his arms.

He wanted to protest when she started to pull back but he stopped the moment he was able to see her face, the sight stunning him into submission. It was _her._ Ever as beautiful and just the same as the last time he saw her; her pure blue eyes and soft pink lips, the bit of red tinging her cheeks and the smile that was cemented in his memory. And though a part of him desperately needed to know _how,_ right now all he could do was stare in stunned silence at the sight of her.

"You're alive," he croaked, his eyes filling with tears that he furiously tried to blink away so they wouldn't cloud his vision of her.

Her smile widened, and she let out a little half giggle that he felt reverberate through him. "I'm alive. _You're_ alive."

She raised her hands to his face, her thumbs brushing along his jaw before she settled her palms against his skin, her eyes beholding him with reverence burning in their cerulean depths. She gave a little shake of her head like she couldn't believe he was there and he smiled crookedly.

"I'm immortal, dearie," he teased.

As he'd hoped she would, she laughed and then she threw her arms around his neck and melted back into him. He closed his eyes and smiled as he pressed his face into her hair and breathed her in.

And then he remembered something, something he needed to tell her before another moment passed.

"Belle," he said urgently, wiggling free of her grasp so he could meet her eyes. "Belle, I love you."

Her eyes filled with tears and for a moment he began to worry that he'd gone too far, but then she was smiling that radiant smile of hers and setting his whole world to rights again.

"And I love you, Rumple," she said surely.

His smile was a lopsided and crooked thing compared to hers, but he couldn't help the way it seemed determined to spread across his face at her declaration; at the light and strength that surged through him more powerfully than any magic. That was a power all hers, and Gods but he loved her for it.

"She told me no one would ever find me," Belle murmured, her head tilting just the slightest bit. "But I knew you would. Though I had hoped it wouldn't take quite so long."

She chuckled and he knew she was teasing but he couldn't help the guilt that filled him at just how tremendously he had failed her. Had he known... Had he only known she was alive, he would have brought the entire realm to the ground to free her.

"I... I swear to you, Belle, I didn't know... She told me you died. I searched for you. I found - well, the Queen was very convincing," he explained bitterly, recalling the day he wept over her remains. Yes, Regina had gone through great lengths to convince him that his love was gone - and that he was to blame.

"Shh," she cooed, cupping his face between her palms. "I know, Rumple. Anyway, it doesn't matter. You're here now. You're here, and we're together."

He whimpered as he tugged her against him, his arms wrapping around her protectively. Yes, they were together now. And he would spend he rest of his life making sure nothing ever came between them again.

She snuggled against him, her body molding to his as if it had always been made to be there, and he felt the tears well in his eyes again. He may have gained his freedom today, but she was by far the greatest gift he ever could have gotten. He knew what it was to live without her; how empty and hopeless the world seemed. With her in his arms, there was light pouring back into his life - into his very soul. It was the only magic he needed. 

"What now?" she asked as she looked up at him hopefully. 

"Now," he said with a smile, his heart feeling like it could burst from the love he felt for the woman in his arms, "we go home. Tomorrow I have to meet someone and uphold up my end of a deal. And then you and I are going to live happily ever after," he promised. And then he sealed his words with a kiss. 


End file.
